Mining machinery



May 17, 1.932. I F, B MlLLNER 1,858,933

MINING' MACHINERY Filed Sept. 13, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 @NWN May 17, 1932. F. B. MILLER MINING MACHINERY Filed Sept. 15, 1929 3 Sheecs-Sheet 5 su@ mw f moedor.- Fea-0596K 5. /V//L/ -E,

Patented May 17, 1932 FREDERIK B. MILLER, F SCOTTDALE, PENNSYLVANIA MINING MACHINERY Application led September 13, 1929. Serial No. 392,450.

This invention relates to conveyers and more particularly to extensible conveyers 0f the endless belt type for use With mining machines and the like, and has for one of its B objects the provision of a conveyer structure f capable of following the mining machine in its advancing and retracting operations Without in any Way interrupting the operation of the mining machine.

Another object is to provide an extensible conveyer having al novel application of a torque motor Which serves to maintain the proper tension on the conveyer belt and to permit the said belt to yield or retract as the 15 machine is moved.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a plan view showing a conveyer constructed in accordance with this invention in use with a mining machine.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of the conveyer carriage and accompanying mechanism.

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the carriage or rear end of the conveyer mechanism.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view showing a portion of the conveyer trough and its support. v A

Figure 6 is a similar transverse sectional view.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail View showing the conveyer take-up mechanism.l

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letter A designates a mining machine Which forms the subject matter of my United States Letters Patent No. 1,643,000, dated September 20, 1927. It Will be understood that the conveyer of this application is not limited to use With the machine of my prior patent but may be used with any form of machine with Which conveyers are generally used.

An idler pulley 32 is loosely mounted on a conveyer drive mechanism and supporting pulleys are mounted on a carriage 10. The head tandem drive 'pulley 11 is keyed to a shaft 12 which has a gear 13 secured thereon. The gear 13 is meshed with a gear 14 secured shaft 41 on the mining machine A. Thel to the shaft 15 which also has the tandem u1- ley 16 keyed thereon. The gear 14 is mes ed with a pinion 17 fixed on a shaft 18 which shaft also has a gear 19 keyed thereon. The gear 19 is meshed with a pinion 20 fixed to a 55 shaft 21 which also has a gear 22 fixed thereon and meshed with the drive pinion 23 of a motor 23a.

The above described gearing servesto reduce the speed of the drive to that desired 60 and, therefore, it will be understood that variousother arrangements of gearing mayl be substituted if desired.

The conveyer belt 51 is trained over the tandem drive pulleys 11 and 16 at a point Intermediate the end terminals of the conveyor and over the end or terminal idler pulleys 32 and 27 at the op osite ends of the conveyor. The conveyer belt 51 is twisted and turned at the rear of the carriage l0 so as to W extend along the mine heading and for this purpose idler pulleys 25, 26, 28 and 29 'are arranged on a supporting frame 10a of the carriage. Other idler pulleys 24, 30 and 31 are arranged in the carriage for supporting 75 the belt.

The idler pulley 27 is journaled on a shaft carried by a stirrup 33 suspended by a, tension rope or cable 34 which is attached to a tension drum 35. The tension drum 35 is secured to a shaft 36 journaled in a support 40a suspended from a cross-bar anchored overhead in the coal. A gear 37 is secured on the sha-ft 36 and meshed with the drive pinion of a torque motor 39 also secured on the sup-` port 40a.

In operation the torque motor 39 will pro-- vide a constant tension on the conveyer belt and the motor will either yield or retract the belt as the mining machine is advanced or retracted.

In order to retain the coil on the belt 51 telescopic trough pans are mounted on the carriage 10. The pan 43 is ixedly mounted on the carriage 10, a pan 44 telescopes pan 43, and a pan 45 telescopes the pan 44. The pan 45 is fixed to the mining machine in any desired manner. When the conveyer is ex tended beyond the length of the pans 43, 44

and 45 other pans 46 and 48 are provided which may be added to the system.

The pans are adapted to be supported when extended by U-shaped rests 47. The rests 47 are adapted to havetheir arms or bars eX- tending horizontally and the to bar 49 is provided with a recess n which t e pans are seated. The bottom bar 50 is seated on the Y mine floor and the upper face of said bottom bar serves to carry the return side of the belt 51.

The rests 47 are inserted from the side of the trough pans without interrupting the operation of the mining machine.

The materials conveyed by the conveyer belt 51 are delivered over the head pulleys to a transverse conveyer B of any desired construction which, in turn, will convey them to cars or other points of discharge.

It will be understood that,^if desired, the conveyer mechanism of this invention may be used independently of a mining machine by mounting the idler pulley 41 on a loading machine, tractor or any other suitable advancin ri V Whi e Iave shown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, since various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of my invention, as defined in the appended claim.

Iclaim- A conveyer mechanism comprising in combination acar'riage, a tandem belt drive on said carriage, an idler pulley mounted in advance of said carriage for advancing and retracting movement relative to the material to be conveyed, a second idler pulley yieldably anchored at a point to the rear of and distant from said carriage and in substantially the same horizontal l'ane as said lirst mentloned idler pulley, said second named idler pulley being connected to one end of a cable, the other end of which is connected to a takeup drum, a torque motor for normally tending to operate said drum to pull said cable away from said first named idler` pulley under constant tension thereby forming a yielding retractable anchor for said second named idler pulley, a single endless conveyer belt trained over said idler pulleys and said tandem belt drive, and telescopically arranged troughs extending between said carriage and the mounting for said first named idler pulley through which said conveyer belt travels. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FREDERICK B. MILLER. 

